Pages

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Domestic Monestary: Daily Prayer

I'm not good at consistency in anything, but especially in prayer. My life, more often than not, is a series of enthusiastic bursts, followed by neglect and distraction. But I know better than to be satisfied with such a life, so again and again I try to build ritual..two steps forward, one step back..

Building ritual in my own life begins and ends with prayer. This year, having dedicated myself to the Virgin of the Passion, I'm trying to develop a relationship with the Theotokos in both her suffering and sustaining aspects - because her role in the passion goes beyond suffering - she is there with her Son to continue nourishing Him through His Sacrifice - uniting herself, and her every moment with Him - joyful, sorrowful, and mundane.

From her I am trying to learn to put my prayers into Time - to pull moments from each day and fill them up with holiness. To light my candles and stand before the altar, opening wide the tiny doors that fill my wall, and welcoming in the saints who peer at me through them. We have a slowly growing ritual: Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, Noon Prayer, Divine Mercy. Not a perfect ritual, not one that lasts through all distractions, but a beginning. January is all about beginnings. How do you include ritualized prayer in your daily life?